


On this Day, She Needs a Doctor

by LiraelClayr007



Series: NaPoWriMo 2019 [22]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Dimension-Hopping Rose, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hope, Music, Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 22:03:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18583468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiraelClayr007/pseuds/LiraelClayr007
Summary: The dimension-hopping is getting difficult and draining for Rose. She needs a little hope...she needs a Doctor.**a twelve/rose poem**also a timestamp to 'til Midnight.





	On this Day, She Needs a Doctor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WordMusician](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordMusician/gifts).



> for WordMusician, who is always an encouragement to me. 💙

He’s in the music room

when she finds him, lost

in the melody when he hears

the click of the door. _They let you_

_out of school early today, Clara?_

_Or did you run away for a secret_

_adventure._ He’s already on his feet,

ready for adventure himself, when he hears

the intake of breath behind him

and his brain catches up

to what he knew from

the moment

the door opened.

 

 _Sorry for bargin’ in,_ Rose says.

_My old key still works._

 

She’s waiting for him to turn around.

He knows it. But somehow he can’t,

can’t break the spell of hearing

her voice,

her breath,

her heartbeat.

He stands frozen,

transfixed.

 

 _Doctor?_ There’s a quaver in her voice,

and he melts.

 

_Oh Rose. My Rose._

He turns, and for a moment that lasts

a lifetime

they are lost in each other’s eyes.

 

And then she springs at him,

and they are a tangle of

arms and legs

and they thump onto the floor

and her hair is in his face

and he doesn’t care because

he is kissing Rose,

tasting her lips,

feeling her breath on his face

and her weight against his.

 

But when he tastes

the salt of her tears

he pulls back, concerned.

 

_Rose?_

 

_It’s been so hard, Doctor._

_Trying to find…_

_you._

_The younger you._

_Things are getting worse, and_

_some of the places I land…_

Her face pales and she doesn’t finish

the thought. _I cry myself to sleep_

_sometimes, wondering if I’ll ever find_

_you. Sometimes I even--_

She stops, looking torn, almost

embarrassed.

 _Sometimes i even miss_ **_you_ ** _, Doctor._

 **_This_ ** _you. And then…_

_and then I feel guilty._

 

He chuckles, not unkindly.

_We’re all the same man, Rose._

_Or,_ he amends, thinking of the photos

he’d seen on her last visit, _the same person._

He kisses the crown of her head,

holding her close enough that their

heartbeats

merge into one.

 _No guilt, love,_ he murmurs into her hair.

 

Inside he aches, knowing she loves

him and yearns for

him even in this body,

knowing they’ll never have their

forever.

But if life can’t be

fair,

at least it can be

kind.

At least they can have

now.

 

He feels her hesitation;

her face is hidden but he knows

she bites her lower lip. Finally

she says, her voice little more than

a whisper,

 

_I’ve had moments I wanted to quit._

_I’d look in the mirror and wonder_

_how I could possibly face_

_another day of failure:_

_wrong place,_

_wrong time,_

_missing you by seconds._

_It only happened_

_a few times,_

_but…_

 

He hears

tears

in her throat.

 

Tilting her face up

so he can look into her

eyes, he says, _But you don’t_

_quit, Rose. We’re all a little_

_stronger than we think we are,_

_and you’re the strongest person_

_I know. Just keep swimming._

_You’ll get there in the end._

 

She claps a hand over her mouth,

trying to stifle her giggles.

She fails, collapsing against

him, shaking with

laughter.

 

 _What?_ He bristles.

 

_This face, this voice._

_They don’t seem like they should quote_

Finding Nemo _. But you’re still so_

_perfectly you._

_In some ways you never change._

 

 _That’s right,_ he says.

_I’m always dignified_

_and I’m always your Doctor._

 

She snorts. _At least one_

_of those is true._

 

Before he can respond she says,

_I’ve got a little time._

_Play me our song?_

 

She’s smiling, but

he can still see the traces

of tears on her cheeks.

  


**Author's Note:**

> NaPoWriMo Day 22 | prompt: "we're all a little stronger than we think we are"


End file.
